In the Days of the Comet [Hardcover]

H. G. Wells (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2004

IN THE DAYS OF THE COMET is a provocative, insightful, often humorous and finally scandalous look at the transformation of the world into something like a wonderland -- a comet dusts the earth in a near-miss, and its substance people everywhere: jealousy and possessive behaviors of men and women become passions for cooperation and peace. Sounds idyllic enough -- but contemporary readers were aghast at the suggestion that religion, marriage, and capitalism, could be replaced by a primitivistic urge to help, share, and love. IN THE DAYS OF THE COMET is a book that's been unkindly overlooked, lost in the dusty classics section of our libraries. THE TIME MACHINE has frequently been described as the best novella ever written for its blend of humanist philosophy and visionary science. IN THE DAYS OF THE COMET might be described as a fuller working of the same themes, expanded in a memorably liberal love story.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born Herbert George Wells in Kent in 1866, H. G. Wells was an outspoken socialist and pacifist, whose works caused some controversy. He is more widely known as a science fiction writer for the novels that he published between 1895 and 1901: The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds, When the Sleeper Wakes and The First Men in the Moon. All, except for When the Sleeper Wakes, have been made into films. Along with Jules Verne, H. G. Wells is also known as 'the Father of Science Fiction'. His later novels were more realistic and he wrote many genres, including contemporary novels, history and social commentary. H. G. Wells died in 1946. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 252 pages
• Publisher: Wildside Press (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809596709
• ISBN-13: 978-0809596706
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,348,476 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of Wells' better works of fiction, January 22, 2005

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: In the Days of the Comet (Paperback)

William Leadford is a young London Socialist, leading a life of quiet desperation. Around him, the whole world seems to be unraveling, as capitalists wage war on their own workers, and nation rises up against nation. And through it all, a comet has entered the Solar System, and may indeed be aimed straight at Earth. Can the system that dominates men's lives survive its seeming inevitable destruction? And if the comet should strike the planet, what will be the result?

This now largely forgotten work was written by H.G. Wells (1866-1946) in 1906, during his brief sojourn with the Fabian Society. This book is less science fiction than his earlier works, such as the Invisible Man and the War of the Worlds, and is more of a political polemic. In it, we get to see the inevitable destruction of the capitalist system that the antediluvian Socialists predicted. But more, Wells uses the comet as a vehicle to posit a new utopia, where man has awakened from his childhood as a species and puts behind him such things as private ownership of land, nationalism, religion, and so much more. Indeed, this book marks Wells' open advocation of free love, which eroded his popularity among the reading public.

Now, as for the book itself, I am of two minds. The book starts out rather slowly, and I found myself rather bored with it. But, as it continued, it began to pick up steam, and became quite an interesting read. This is one of Wells' better works of fiction, being much better (in my opinion) than Tono-Bungay and the Food of the Gods.

So, if you are a fan of Edwardian literature, or just like a good story, then you will definitely like this book. I highly recommend it.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Wells' tells why the world should be socialist., August 6, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Days of the Comet (Paperback)

H.G. Wells was a known socialist for much of his life, although his opinions seemed to have change after the rise of the Stalinist Soviet Union. This book, with the misleading title, is NOT science fiction in the classic sense. However, this 1906 Wells' work is clearly an effort by Wells to show why the world should become socialist. He constantly ridicules the capitalist world by pointing out how capitalism breeds social classes which in turn breeds an unequal lifestyle among human beings. The rich get all the benefits of life, while the poor are left in squalor. Perhaps Wells' best illustration of this comes late in the book when the mother of the main character tells how her daughter died because she couldn't afford to pay the doctors who demanded their fee up front. Wells' also tries to convince the reader that socialism will not mean an end to the family, although it apparantly will mean the end of the single family home, all of which are destroyed in several! English cities by the socialists in this book. In fact, Wells claims people will find true love as a result of socialism because people will no longer think they are better than others. If you are looking for something in the realms of WAR OF THE WORLDS, THE INVISIBLE MAN or THE TIME MACHINE, this book is not for you. If you are a die-hard Wells fan you will probably enjoy this look into Wells' socialist ideas.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Utopia through extra-terrestial influences, March 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Days of the Comet (Paperback)

I first read this and saw that it was a Utopian Novel which was much more positive than others I had also read(by Orwell,for instance).However,I can see now that,although highly disguised through the science-fiction and humanity,this was Wells' own Socialist ideas of the world.Wells is an author whose works can be read as either science fiction,human interest or social commentary.